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All set for a second innings

Known for his stylish strokes on the field, cricketer Ajay Jadeja is ready to bat on screen with Bollywood beauties. K. KANNAN catches up with him during a recent visit to the Capital....

``If I had the choice between doing films and playing cricket, I would most certainly prefer the latter,'' says cricketer-turned-film-star Ajay Jadeja, who is making his Bollywood debut in ``Kashish'' opposite Celina Jaitly, Femina Miss India Universe-2001.

``Films have never been my first love. I would rather love to be on the cricket field than behind the camera or be seen on the big screen,'' says Ajay, who signed his second film, ``Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas'' in Delhi recently. ``People have been kind enough to offer me roles,'' admits the cricketer, who describes himself as ``jobless'' and therefore has ``ample time'' at his disposal.

Pointing out that he never wanted to join films, Ajay asserts he was not even thinking about it when it all happened by chance. ``In April last year, my good friend Suniel Shetty showed me the script of a film which he intended to produce. When I went through the script, I found it good. It was then that Suniel dropped the bombshell --`Why don't you do the role?' ''

While Ajay took his own time to decide whether to accept the offer or not, what probably also posed a constraint in his mind was the fact that he had no formal training in acting. ``I often asked myself whether I could do justice to the role offered to me?''

Also, Ajay was quite clear that if he had a choice between films and cricket, he would most certainly do the former. ``It was a tough decision to make. I had already done many ad campaigns with film-stars and models. Many film offers did come my way in the past. But I never really could say yes to all that as I was busy playing cricket.''

The former cricketer says he had ample time at his disposal to plan an alternate career for himself which ironically had been a long time in the making. ``My fame in cricket has helped me come into films,'' confesses Ajay.

While his debut film has Suneil Shetty and Celina Jaitly in the lead roles, Ajay too has a very good role in `Kashish'' which is being directed by Yusuf Khan. ``Suneil is my mentor and guide in the film industry. It is he who has guided me so far right from the reading of the script to the conceptualisation of my role.''

As for his second film, ``Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas'', Ajay says it is being produced and directed by Krishan Kumar, who has earlier directed seven films in Southern languages. Freely talking about his role in the film, Ajay says ``the movie is all about laughter. I have gone through the script which is based on the relationship between a grandmother and a grandson,'' says the cricketer, who will be seen in the film along with Sushma Seth, who plays a grandmother's role.

Ajay, who has recently joined dancing classes, says he is not a demanding actor in any way. ``I like all heroines,'' he confesses. ``Since only two or three people from the cricket field have come into the film industry, I consider my chances very bright.''

Admitting that it would not be easy to be a cricketer and a film-star at the same time, Ajay says he was eagerly awaiting the day when he will come back to the cricket field again. ``Cricket is my first priority and I will not give it up for anything else,'' he reiterates.

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